The United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) interacted with the National Executives in London.

This is part of efforts to keep the rank and file of the party united and focused on the bigger agenda of annexing power from the Akufo-Addo-led administration in the 2024 General Elections.

Among the party bigwigs that graced the occasion were the Deputy General Secretary, Barbara Asamoah, and Member of Parliament for Salaga South, Zuweira Mohammed Ibrahimah.

Alhaji Awudu Sannie, Deputy NDC UK/Ireland Chapter Secretary, and Adamu Musah, Chapter organiser, were also present.

Fallen comrades and other individuals wounded during the 2020 General Elections in Techiman South were remembered.

In his speech, the NDC UK & Ireland Chapter Chairman, Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba, hinted at some of the challenges the current executives encountered when they took up the leadership mantle.

Citing COVID-19 as one of the primary global issues that impeded the activities of the chapter in the run up to election 2020, Chairman Mbalba added that the chapter managed to inaugurate branches in Reading & Berkshire, East London, Telford, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland in spite of all the difficulties.

He further stated that West London, Swindon, Hampshire, Surrey, and Leeds/Bradford branches, just to mention a few, are also in the pipeline, and very soon all these branches will be inaugurated.

Again, with the welfare of members being one of the core tenets of the chapter, chairman Mbalba highlighted some proactive measures that were institutionalised to ensure members who were confined to their homes received some support. He further intimated that the leadership is not resting on their laurels but rather extending their tentacles to propagate the good message of the incoming president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, and the NDC in every nook and cranny within the United Kingdom. He further conveyed to all present a directive from Accra in relation to the upcoming branch election and the need for all contestants to treat each other with the uttermost respect. According to Chairman Mbalba, this will reduce the time needed for healing after the internal election and make the peaceful resolution of election disputes easier and faster.

In summing up his speech, Chairman Mbalba encouraged members present to acquire the Ghana card as it will be needed during the registration process for elections in 2024. He urged members to leave no stone unturned until victory is won in 2024.

He stressed the need for the party to eliminate any form of complacency but rather continue to work hard as the wind of change in election 2024 could be felt even for those of us in the diaspora.

The MP for Salaga South, Zuweira Mohammed Ibrahim, in her address, first congratulated all members of the UK & Ireland Chapter for still believing in and staying loyal to the ideals and principles of the party despite all the setbacks in election 2020.

Indeed, there were major events, according to Zuweira, that obviously compelled the party to revisit its approach going into any future election, but the incoming president of Ghana, President John Mahama, in one of his submissions, made reference to the party not going back to the court to seek redress on any electioneering dispute due to the polarised and partisan nature of our current judicial system under the ruling NPP.

This implies that a thorough feasibility study must be carried out in terms of the availability of logistics and skilled labour to take responsibility for some of the technicalities at the polling stations and coalition centres during the vote counting and certification.

It is in view of this, coupled with the hardship Ghanaians are going through, that she made a humble plea to all and sundry within the rank and file of the party to come on board to contribute their widow’s mite both in cash and kind in order to propel the party to victory in election 2024.

She, however, encouraged all party faithfuls to be actively involved in registering their families for the Ghana Card within the UK, especially with the possibility of ROPA taking effect in 2024.

According to Zuweira, Ghanaians and the NDC must see election 2024 as a rescue mission that posterity wouldn’t forgive us if we fail. She stated that Ghana has nowhere to turn to other than the NDC and that is why it’s imperative we learn to forgive quickly, especially during our internal elections, so we can unify our front since the actual enemy awaits us in 2024.

The Deputy General Secretary for the party, Barbara Asamoah, was thankful to the chapter leadership for such a warm reception and praised the executives for being resolute in committing their time and serving the party diligently.

She highlighted the good contributions from the chapter going into election 2020 and how the chapter leadership has meticulously coordinated the affairs of the chapter to the admiration of other national executives.

Barbara Asamoah quickly added that despite all efforts and commitments, the NDC as a party is still in opposition, implying that the job is not yet finished, and thus the need to remain consistent in pursuit of victory in the 2024 election.

Touching on the abysmal performance of the Akuffo Addo-led administration, Lawyer Asamoah expressed serious concerns about the current poverty index in Ghana and the undulating prices of commodities due to the depreciation of the Ghanaian cedi and excessive borrowing.

She said as a party, the NDC has on several occasions made concrete recommendations to the NPP on how best to manage the economy through its MPs in Parliament, but as faith may have it, the Akuffo Addo-led administration has rejected all good counsel as well as constructive criticism and rather held on to politics of deception and self-proclamation as a financial connoisseur despite all the hardships bestowed on the average Ghanaian.

Asamoah touched on the high level of insecurity in the country, saying how there was never a day without issues of robbery or vigilantes using the party colours of the NPP to victimize innocent Ghanaians. She observed that issues about galamsey and how it is destroying our water bodies are best left unsaid, especially when government players rob Peter to pay Paul by preaching virtue but practicing vice.

She added that all these are salient issues that not only make the government of the day unpopular but rather make Ghanaians miss the leadership of the NDC and President John Dramani Mahama.

Asamoah enumerated some structures in place within the NDC to ensure events in the past in the Ashanti region do not repeat themselves in future electioneering processes in the history of our beloved country. Changing of figures on pick sheets, padding of results and victimizing polling agents in some polling stations across the country were observations presented by several party agents in the Ashanti. The party has therefore taken steps to ensure all polling agents are well protected to discharge their duties freely without any form of intimidation or fear.

Finally, the event's keynote speaker, Barbara Asamoah, advised all attendees not to underestimate the importance of their contributions in bringing the party back to power in 2024.

She said that all ideas are welcome, and members must also be available to take up party duties and responsibilities for the greater good of Ghana. According to Lawyer Asamoah, Election 2024 is very promising, but it’s too early to call the shots as the Ghanaian political terrain has changed in the last few elections. Hence, we should be more focused until the very end.

Barbara Asamoah's speech was followed by an open forum led by the Chapter Secretary, Michael Dzidula Kudiabor.

All questions were well answered by the guest speakers and the chapter leadership to the admiration of everyone gathered for the occasion.

The deputy chapter women's organiser, Madam Rebecca Anoon, gave a vote of thanks to sum up appreciation of the chapter leadership to everyone who travelled from far and near to see to the success of the programme, especially the invited guest from the party head office.